Advice needed for resitting completed, available, website, everyone

fructify

Hi everyone, so I got band 9 in Dec08, and now band 10 in June09. I am determined to pass this exam so I've signed up again for Dec09. However....I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to study this time.

For the last two attempts I did this:

Read schweser - make notes on all books, finished 6 weeks before exam
Do Qbank questions - completed a good 2000 or so
Did 4 schweser mocks
Did all mocks/samples available on cfai website
Did Ethics test

I did the same kind of thing both times, and now I'm thinking that obviously I'm not doing something right. Can anyone give me any advice on what else to do...I really don't feel like there is anything else I can do?? Is it worth reading the CFAI textbooks instead or schweser?

Also, should I use my notes from last time, or just start fresh and make new notes all over again? I really don't want to fail again.

waldziuchna

I feel you.

I failed band 10 in Dec and passed this time around.

What I did was:
- re-read through schweser
- Look at my weak areas and spend time on them (from your results posted on CFAI)
- read through the curriculum ethics section
- did every single qbank question (4000+ i think?)
- practice mock
- sample mock
- schweser volume 1 & 2

I know you'll pass in Dec

Stay strong

rgonzalez

Salute to Bexter!

I failed Band 10 Dec 08 and passed this time round...

I would definitely recommend working on the questions in the CFAI books.
Though they may not be of exam format (some of them), they are very good for reinforcing your undeerstanding of the material.

That was somethign I didn't do the first time round as I wanted to cover everything fast with schweser.

The solutions in the CFAI books are pretty good too.

Best of luck !

Keep it going!

I'm sure you'll own Dec 09 big time!

dontknow1987

All the best dude...Keep ur spirits high

kasinkei

Thanks for your replies guys. Its not easy but I can't give up now, too much time and money already invested.

I think I'm going to start back with the CFAI texts. I was put off them originally because of the size(!) but I think I'm going to have to. I'm a CA but only got 50-70 on FSA which is a bit of an embarrassment!!! So will probably start with that first.

Bluetick1010

Bexter,
Here's my advice. Avoid the CFAi books except for ethics/gips and places where you just aren’t getting the concepts. I found it helped in level 1 to make note cards with key formulas/concepts but the important thing to remember is to read the LOS: if the command word says calculate, write down the formula, if it says interpret, then you don't need the formula.

Once you finish your cards, start reviewing them. As you begin to learn the concepts on each, take them out of the normal rotation so that you are spending time on the weaker areas.

I also relied on Qbank and the exams to map weaknesses but after taking one mock exam, I realized time wasn't going to be an issue so i stopped doing whole exams until I got to level 3.

Matori

Definitely do as many questions as you can! I found that making my own exams up on the Q bank helped me a lot. I also printed out all my old mock exams and kept them on my passenger seat so I could read them at red lights (throughout the whole time I was studying). This way, you stay fresh on all the material and get a "preview" of future sections before you review them in depth. I was a band 10 in Dec but passed this time. I think my problem in December is that by the time I got done reading and doing questions on each section, I'd forget most of the older stuff that I had reviewed. Start doing mocks and practice exams early...even if you think you're not ready for them (although you want to save some of them for the end).

leadcfa

Also make sure you do as much questions as you can! QBanks, Questions on this forum...etc. Just do LOTS of questions..., especially questions from the CFAI textbook.

mnieman

Bexter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for your replies guys. Its not easy but I
> can't give up now, too much time and money already
> invested.

Free advice. I'm all for people setting goals and overcoming challenges, but make sure you really want / need to pursue the charter for yourself and your career. And I bring that up because there are also exams called Level 2 and Level 3, and Level 1 is a joke compared to those. If you pass Level 1 in December, the program will get much tougher and will take up a lot more of your time.

LokiDog2

Hey to the OP I failed my first time June 09 with a Band 7, I'm with you together on this one buddy. I know we are both going to pass in December.

PS, anyone have a good study schedule for the Schweser Notes? I didn't use them last time and am going to this time, already ordered them. Starting to study in August 1st, so anyone have a good pace/ plan to go through the books? OP?